Cylinder head



Patented July 8, 1941 CYLINDER HEAD Carl N. Furay, Manchester, Conn, assignor to United Aircraft Cor Conn., a corporation poration, East Hartford, of Delaware Application July 29, 1939, Serial No. 287,230

10 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines and has particular reference to an improved cylinder head for a sleeve valve type engine.

An object of the invention resides in the provision of an improved cylinder head of the character indicated so constructed that the walls of the cooling liquid space are all integral with the cylinder head and serve as head reinforcing structures.

-A further object resides in the provision of an improved engine cylinder head of the character indicated in which the spark plug apertures are extended through a web or core provided with a cooling fluid passage so that cooling fluid may entirely surround the apertures and the wall thickness between the passages and the apertures is substantially uniform entirely around the spark plug apertures.

Other objects and advantages will be more particularly pointed out hereinafter or will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing, in which like reference numerals are used to designate similar parts throughout there is illustrated a suitable mechanical embodiment for the purpose of disclosing the invention. The drawing, however, is for the purpose of illustration only and is not to be taken as limiting the invention since it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the illustrated construction without in any way exceeding the scope of the invention.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a cylinder head constructed according to the invention.

Fig. 2.is a vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2 omitting the portion of the cylinder and sleeve valve shown in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the numeral I generally indicates the improved-cylinder head receivable in the outer end of the cylinder, generally indicated at l2, and extending into the open outer end of the sleeve valve I4. The cylinder may be provided with an outer jacket l6 spaced from the outer surface of the cylinder to form a space for cooling fluid about the cylinder and may be provided with ports, as indicated at l8 and 20 for the intake or exhaust of fuel charges from the cylinder which ports may be covered by suitable conduits as indicated at 22and 24. The sleeve valve I4 is provided with ports corresponding to the ports I 8 and 20 in the engine cylinder, and are so disposed along the length of the sleeve that the outer edges of the ports register substantially with the end of the cylindrical outer surface of the head when the ports are fully open. The inner end portion of the outer cylindrical surface of the head is provided with annular grooves, asindicated at 26, for the reception of compression or junk rings to provide a seal between the cylinder head and the inner surface of the valve sleeve. At its outer end the cylinder head is provided with an outwardly extending annular flange 28 which overlies a similar flange 30 on the outer end of cylinder l2, the flange 28 being provided with spaced apertures 3! through which extend bolts 33 screw threaded into registering apertures in the flange 30 to secure the head to the outer end of the cylinder.

The cylinder head itself is substantially in the form of an inverted dome shaped member projecting into the open end of the cylinder to provide space for reciprocating movements of the sleeve I l. The outer transverse, or head, surface of this member is convex in all directions to increase its resistance to the force of explosions in the engine cylinder. This closed or head portion of the cylinder head is made hollow with an outerwall 32 and an inner wall 34 en'- closing between them an annular space 36 through which cooling fluid may be passed to remove excess heat from the cylinder head. As

explained above the outer surfaces of the wall 32 is convex, while the inner wall 34 is substantially concave with conical side portions joined to the side wall of the cylinder head and a flat end portion joined to the wall 32 by an integral web 38. A pair of spark plug apertures 40' and 42 extend through the web or core 38, one upon each side of the diametric center line of the head, and a cooling fluid channel 44 is provided through the web in the space between the spark plug apertures. As is clearly'apparent from an inspection of Fig. 2 the web provides a restriction in the fluid passage from one side of the head to the other so that the rate of flow of the cooling fluid is increased as it passes the spark plug apertures to more efiiciently remove the excess heat from the portion of the headimmediately surrounding the spark plugs. The fluid is led into the space 35 througha suitable conduit 46, disposed to one side of the pair of spark plug apertures 40 and 42 and secured to the inner wall of the cylinder head by a suitable flanged union 48. The fluid is vented from the cylinder head through a similar conduit 50, se-

cured to the inner wall of the head at the opposite side of the spark plug apertures from the conduit 46 by a similar flanged union 52.

The above described cylinder head construction provides a cylinder head of improved strength and rigidity and improved cooling efficiency without increasing the weight of the head or utilizing separate or separable portions. The outer wall 32 being generally convex in shape is relatively rigid and is strongly reinforced by the conical or concave shape of the inner wall and the integral connection between the inner and outer walls through the integral web 38 at the center of the head. This construction provides a, cylinder head in which the head wall 32 does not deflect-by reason of the power explosions in the engine cylinders and one in which the spark plugs are firmly seated and adequately cooled.

While a particular mechanical embodiment has been hereinabove described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing for the purpose of disclosing the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is in no way limited to the particular form so illustrated and described, but that various changes may be resorted to as come within the scope of the sub-joined claims.

Having now described the invention so that others skilled in the art' may clearly understand the same, what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. An engine cylinder head comprising, an integral member having an annular side wall, a convex outer end wall, an inner end wall joined to said side wall and spaced from said outer end wall to provide an annular coolant chamber between said end walls, and an integral web between saidend walls disposed substantially centrally thereof and provided with at least one spark plug aperture therethrough and a coolant passage therethrough, a coolant inlet at one side of said web and a coolant outlet at the other side of said web.

2. An engine cylinder head comprising, an integral member having an annular side wall, a convex outer end wall, an inner end wall joined to said side wall and spaced from said outer end wall to provide an annular coolant chamber between said end'walls, and an elongated integral web disposed substantially centrally of said end wallsand provided with spark plug apertures and a coolant passage therethrough.

3. An engine cylinder head comprising, an integral member having an annular side wall, a convex outer endwall, an inner end wall joined to said side wall and spaced from said outer end wall to provide an annular coolant chamber between said end walls, and an integral elongated web portion disposed between said end walls substantially centrally thereof and provided with a pair of spaced spark plug apertures therethrough and a coolant passage between said apertures.

4. An engine cylinder head comprising, an integral member having an annular side wall, a convex outer end wall, an inner wall joined to said side wall and spaced from said outer end wall to provide an annular coolant chamber between said end walls, and an integral web between said end walls disposed substantially centrally thereof and provided with spark plug apertures and a coolant passage therethrough, said coolant passage being restricted in the region of said spark plug apertures to provide an increased velocity of coolant flow past said apertures.

5. An engine cylinder head comprising, an integral member having an annular side wall, a convex outer end wall, an inner end wall of frustro-conical shape joined to said side wall and spaced from said outer end wall to provide an annular coolant chamber between said end walls, said end walls being united at their central portions by an integral web whereby said inner wall serves to reinforce said outer wall against deflections incident to engine power explosions.

6. An engine cylinder head comprising, an integral member having an annular side wall, a convex outer end wall, an inner end wall of substantially frustro-conical shape joined to said side wall and of sufiicient thickness to reinforce said outer end wall against deflections incident to engine power explosions, said end walls being spaced apart to provide an annular coolant chamber therebetween, and an elongated integral web between said end walls disposed substantially centrally thereof and provided with spark plug apertures and a coolant passage therethrough.

'7. A cylinder head for an internal combustion engine comprising, a cylindrical portion having a flange on one end and a transverse closure at the other end, said transverse closure having a convex outer surface, a concave inner surface, and an interior annular coolant chamber surrounding a central integral core provided with spark plug apertures and a coolant passage therethrough, a coolant inlet at one side of said core, and a coolant outlet at the opposite side of said core.

8. A cylinder head for an internal combustion engine comprising, a cylindrical portion having a flange on one end and a transverse closure at the other end, said transverse closure having, a convex outer surface, a concave inner surface of a degree of concavity greater than the convexity of said outer surface, and an interior annular coolant chamber surrounding a central integral core provided with spark plug apertures and a coolant channel therethrough.

9. An engine cylinder head comprising, an integral member having an annular side wall, an outer end wall, an inner end wall of frusto-conical shape integrally joined to said side wall at its base end and spaced from said outer end wall to provide an annular coolant chamber between said inner and outer end walls, and an integral web uniting the apex end of said frustro conical inner wall and the central portion of said outer end wall, whereby said inner wall serves to reinforce said outer wall against deflections incident to engine power explosions by transferring loads imposed on the central portion of said outer end wall directly to the side wall of said cylinder head.

10. An engine cylinder head comprising, an integral member having an annular side wall, an outer end wall, an inner end wall of substantially frustro-conical shape joined to said side wall and of suflicient thickness to reinforce said outer end wall against deflections incident to engine power explosions, said end walls being spaced apart to provide an annular coolant chamber therebetween, and an elongated integral web between said end walls disposed substantially centrally thereof and provided with spark plug apertures and a coolant passage therethrough.

CARL N. FURAY. 

